Our Holistic Approach to Student Advising

Academic advising describes the process of working individually with students to plan their academic pathways and career plans.  At the Department of Criminal Justice, our vision for advising is simple: 

To empower students to become successful, active, and independent learners who can reach their personal and professional goals while developing meaningful connections on campus and beyond.

Our approach to advising is unique; it’s called the Advising Blitz. The Blitz is a 2-day, all-hands-on-deck event, held every Fall and Spring semester. During the event, the Department and classroom spaces are transformed into a career fair, featuring criminal justice agencies on site. Students meet with their academic advisors for one-on-one meetings. Faculty and students discuss more than course scheduling; they check course progress that semester and review opportunities for expanding the student’s portfolio of skills and experiences.

Advisors play a critical role in fostering students’ intellectual and personal growth by helping them explore their career interests and passions. At the Blitz, this process is facilitated by having agencies on site. Every semester, we have between 15-20 federal, state, and local employers, as well as representatives from Law and Graduate Schools. This gives students direct access to crucial resources that are usually limited to the campus-wide Career Fair. Yet, the small-scale setting makes students feel more at ease to approach recruiters. Short agency presentations highlight in detail the career opportunities and field operations, and these presentations offer an accessible format for younger students who have not yet discerned their career interests.